Car won’t stay locked when I use the remote to lock

ANSWER : The solenoid is on the door latch and is most likely the cause of the problem for your 2005 Toyota Tacoma. If you want to have this inspected and repaired, a certified technician from YourMechanic can come to your home or office to diagnose your door lock and perform the correct replacement.

ANSWER : Hello, thank you for writing in. If the new battery has also failed to hold a charge, the alternator is likely not working correctly. You can test the alternator at home with a voltmeter, or you can remove it and have it tested at most automotive parts stores. It will need to be replaced if it has failed. You will also want to make sure all of the electrical connections are clean, dry, and tight. For more help testing or replacing the alternator, contact our service department to schedule an appointment.

ANSWER : The doors locking right after you unlock them or unlocking after you lock them are a safety and security issue concern. After checking into this issue I have learned that other owners have had the same issue and usually end up replacing the door lock actuators in each door. As this can be costly, I would suggest you contact YourMechanic to get a thorough diagnostic to verify the cause of your issue. YourMechanic can verify if any recalls or Technical Service Bulletins (TSB) pertain to the repair of your vehicle. They can verify if it is a bad door lock actuator and/or latch. There are no recalls as of the writing of this article, there are, however, owners that have had complaints with door locks. In May of 2015 there was a lawsuit for the door locks malfunction, that was a class action lawsuit, that may help you at the dealer to get repairs done.

ANSWER : If the same problem is happening even when you use the inside door lock switch then the most likely cause of the locks not moving is going to be weak actuators. You should replace the drivers lock actuator first since it is used the most and you will see it fixes the problem. Then you can replace the other doors as needed.

ANSWER : Hello there. The charging system on the car may not be charging the battery as you drive and the systems that keep the engine running are priority so the engine will stay running until the voltage drops below about 9 volts but the lighting and some other accessories may cut off above this voltage first. You should have the charging system tested to see if the alternator needs to be replaced.

ANSWER : You possibly have a dead battery. Batteries that are "partly" dead can often still run lights, dash lights and so forth but will not have enough power to run the starter motor and start the car. The very first thing to do is be sure you have a fully, 100% charged battery that passes a load test. If the battery passes a load test be sure it is NOT a marginal pass in which case you should simply install a new battery to reduce diagnostic headaches. Batteries are a VERY important component in a car’s electrical system. Once you have a fully functioning, preferably new battery (fully charged before you leave the store), if the starting system still does not function, there are only a relatively limited number of causes. Broadly, either the starter motor/solenoid assembly is faulty or the electrical circuit supplying the motor has a fault. That circuit begins at the battery and includes grounds, wiring (some of which is very heavy cabling), fuses, relays, the ignition switch and terminations. Basically, the starter is either getting power or it isn’t. If the starter motor is getting power but it doesn’t work, the starter is condemned and replaced. Alternatively, if there is no power to the starter, then the starter circuit is traced until the fault in the circuit is found. Notably, faults can include high resistances, due to corrosion, wire strand breaks, or loose terminals, which can only be diagnosed using a voltage drop test. If you desire that a certified mechanic resolve this promptly, please simply request a no start diagnostic and the responding mechanic will get it diagnosed and repaired for you, including installing a new battery if required. Please let us know if you have further concerns or questions as we are always here to help you.

ANSWER : Hi, thanks for writing in. This can happen when the tumblers inside the door-locking mechanism become damaged or broken. This can also happen when the key is broken off inside the lock or simply due to dirt or debris getting lodged inside the mechanism. When you insert the key into the lock, there are small tumblers that ride along the ridges of the key. If these are not perfectly aligned as the key is inserted and turned, this can cause the key to get lodged inside or jammed as you describe. I would suggest having an expert from YourMechanic come to your location to inspect your stuck door lock issue for you and make or suggest the necessary repairs.

ANSWER : It sounds like it is likely there is an issue with the key remote itself, especially if the unlock function operates from the the key remote. You can test this theory if you have a spare key to see if the lock function works from the remote. If the key needs to be replaced, it will have to be ordered from the dealer as the keys are vehicle specific but can be synchronized with the vehicle without having the dealer initialize the remote.